9/15/23
Upcoming Dates:
9/19- Early Release 1:30 Dismissal
9/25- NO SCHOOL
10/3- Picture Retake Day
10/5- No School- Conferences
10/6- No School- Conferences
10/9- No School
10/24- Early Release
What’s Happening at TG?
Spanish: Welcome to Spanish at Twin Groves! Sra. Pinta, Sra. Murphy, and Srta. Tristano are all so excited to work with TGMS students this year to help them acquire and use the Spanish language and study the countries and cultures of people groups who speak Spanish.
We would love to remind parents and students that it is essential for students’ success in Spanish class to bring their Spanish folder, iPad, and pencil to class every day. Students typically do not have homework worksheets but we ask that they spend 5-10 minutes each school night, or during flex, studying our current vocabulary on sites like our vocabulary site: conjuguemos.com or using the extension links provided in Schoology.
6th grade Spanish has started the year with their first unit on greetings and how to have a basic conversation. They can now greet each other, say goodbye, exchange names, how they are feeling, and discuss where they are from in Spanish. We ended this week with their first assessment - a summative Interpretive Reading and a formative Presentational Writing.
7th and 8th grade Spanish both have started off the year in a review unit working on reviewing the Súper Cinco (5) (7th grade) or Súper Siete (7) (8th grade) most important verbs they learned in our program previously. Each day we add notes on a new verb, practice answering the questions they learned using that verb last year or the year before, and then we pull up a student and complete a Special Person Interview with the class. We have enjoyed getting to know our students through these fun interviews! Students will have their first summative Interpretive Listening assessment the week of 09/18 and should be studying their notes and vocabulary each night.
Band: The band is off to a good start. We are working on scales, tone production, and reviewing previous concepts to strengthen our base. One of my goals this year is to compose music with the students. We have started this process in several classes and are seeing good results.
Friday, September 15 we start our Twin Groves Jazz Band. This band is open to all students. We learn to play in the jazz style, improvise, and learn about jazz musicians. The band will play in all of our concerts this year. The jazz band is a no-audition band, but in October we will ask students to make a commitment to the group for the year. Students are encouraged to try the group out.
On Friday, September 8, the 8th-grade students went to the Stevenson High School Football Game. It was a great experience for our students and gave them much information about the Stevenson marching band program. It was also fun to see former students who are making a big impact in the Stevenson program.
Over the next two weeks, we will be enrolling our students again in the Smart music program. Smart music is a program that gives students many different types of music to play. It also has most of the band pieces that we will be playing for our concerts on it so students can practice for their music with the whole band experience. I have also designed a spiral curriculum in which students are taken through three levels of lesson books, all the scales, and some repertoire. Students will start at an easier level to learn how the program works: how to record, play with a metronome, and just get comfortable with all of the controls. Students will submit their finished exercises that meet the requirements for a passing grade. I will listen to them and offer my critique and encouragement. We often see many students make great strides in their playing level each year because the program is designed for students to go at their own pace. Students will be required to do at least 6 per month.
Orchestra: TG orchestra is off to a great start. Starting 9/15 all classes will be assessed on playing three scales from memory. Each grade is playing two orchestra pieces for their November concert.
6th graders are playing Fiddles on Fire and Joust, and learning how to play together as a group.
7th graders are playing Treasure Quest and the Telemann Sinfonia, and learning some new concepts like blues scales and swung eighth notes for jazzy music.
8th graders are playing Indigo Mountain and Gauntlet. We get to work on more advanced things like chord building and sightreading orchestral jazz music.
Fall Family/Educator Conferences
Fall Family/Educator Conferences are right around the corner. The conference dates are Thursday, October 5th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, October 6th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
We will be using Meet the Teacher as an electronic sign-up for conferences. A School Messenger email will be sent to families on Thursday, September 21st at 6:00 AM with a link to sign up for conferences.
Conferences will be held virtually using Meet the Teacher’s video conferencing platform unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions bolded at the end of this message. After you have scheduled your conferences, you will receive an email from Meet the Teacher with a link you will use to access the video conferences.
Middle school parents will have the option to sign up with one core content teacher (see below) and pertinent exploratory/PE teachers. Please note: Students on the A-Day schedule will have their Spanish teachers available during this round of conferences. Students on the B-Day schedule will have this opportunity in the spring.
Available Middle School Core Teachers
6th Grade: 2nd Period Teacher
7th Grade: 1st Period Teacher
8th Grade: 1st Period Teacher
If you are unable to schedule a conference with a specific teacher, please remember that conferences are not the only time to communicate with teachers. Please feel free to reach out at any time.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via email by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd.
Middle School Health (Repeat)
Please click HERE to access the 23-24 Health Education letter.
Dress Code (repeat)
Students who are in violation of the policy and rules of student dress code will be asked to comply with the rules by either changing to other attire that is available at school, or by having parents bring different clothes from home. In the event there is noncompliance with the above regulations, a student may receive disciplinary action.
Please note…any student violating the dress code will be asked to change into other clothes or cover-up.
4.12-e Standards for Student Dress. Students who are appropriately and comfortably dressed are able to focus on schoolwork more effectively. The following guidelines will be enforced by building administrators. Cooperation by parents is appreciated.
1. Dress or appearance that provokes or distracts other students or otherwise causes a disruption to the educational process is prohibited.
2. Shoes must be worn at all times.
3. Clothing, jewelry, or accessories may not have writing or pictures that advertise or advocate alcohol, drugs, tobacco, obscenity, violence, or gang activity.
4. Pants must be worn at the waistline.
5. Hats are allowed on designated hat days only.
6. Half shirts, cropped tops, spaghetti straps, and underwear or sleepwear worn as outerwear are not acceptable.
7. Undergarments should not be visible.
8. With the exception of appropriate jewelry, no chains should be worn.
Cell Phones (repeat)
Cell phones should be silenced and securely locked in the student’s lockers from 7:43 AM to 2:30 PM.
If a staff member sees a cell phone out, we will ask the student to lock it in their locker. If they do not comply, the phone will be taken and sent to the office until the end of the day. Students can collect their cell phones from the office at 2:30 PM.
Please see language from the D96 Board Policy Manual:
Using or possessing an electronic paging device. Using a cellular telephone, video recording device, personal digital assistant (PDA), or other electronic device in any manner that disrupts the educational environment, or violates the privacy right of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, or otherwise violate student conduct rules. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction of oneself or another person through the use of a computer, electronic communication device, or cellular phone. Unless otherwise banned under this policy or by the Building Principal, all electronic devices must be kept powered-off or silenced and out-of-sight during the regular school day unless: (a) the supervising teacher grants permission; (b) use of the device is provided in a student’s individualized education program (IEP); (c) it is used during the student’s lunch period, or (d) it is needed in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff, or other individuals.
Daily Announcements
Please see the Twin Groves website for up-to-date school announcements. The announcements let you know what exciting activities and clubs are going on at Twin Groves. Please click HERE to access the Daily Announcements.
Twin Groves Athletics
Please click HERE to access the Twin Groves Athletics site.
This site will be updated frequently.